Dear Constituent, 

There is a lot of confusion and fear swirling about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) right now. This message is intended to clarify questions you may have if you are a SNAP recipient, and/or if you would like to provide support to those who are being impacted by changes to the SNAP program, particularly if benefits become unavailable on November 1.

What is SNAP, and who does it serve?

The SNAP program supplements the grocery budgets of low-income people to help them afford food. Three million New Yorkers rely on SNAP; one million of those New Yorkers are children, and approximately 800,000 are senior citizens. Other recipients include people who are disabled or who work in roles that don’t pay them well enough to afford food on their own. On average, recipients receive $220 per month for their groceries. 

Where can I find food now if I need it?

Westchester residents can visit Feeding Westchester’s pantry locator to find a food pantry near them. For Putnam residents, Regional Food Bank has a similar feature on their website; click here to access it. On either site, you can type in your zip code and find a pantry close to you, along with their hours and other important information. More information about food and other programs that may be of use to you during this time can be found at the Governor’s new dedicated resources page. 

Why are SNAP benefits in jeopardy right now?

President Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune

The federal government has been “shut down” for the past 30 days because President Trump and his allies in the House and Senate are refusing to negotiate with their colleagues in the minority to pass a spending bill. The House has not been in session for longer than a few minutes on any day since September 19. The USDA had previously indicated that it would use contingency funding to keep SNAP funded through a shutdown, but reversed itself earlier this month. In the absence of a spending bill, the Trump administration has been picking and choosing what to pay for, and they have decided not to fund food assistance for needy Americans. 

It should be noted that the federal government shutdown is completely unnecessary. If the Senate majority wants to pass bills without the input of their colleagues in the minority, they can eliminate the filibuster (the rule that requires them to have 60 yes votes to pass a bill) using the so-called “nuclear option” and pass their bills with a simple majority. If the majority is not willing to do that, they should negotiate. 

In this case, Democrats have been asking for an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies to prevent healthcare premiums from spiking for millions of lower- and middle-income Americans. The expiration of the subsidies was not addressed by H.R.1, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” and this is one of many reasons why healthcare is about to get more expensive. Here in New York, people looking to purchase insurance on the New York State of Health marketplace are seeing huge premium increases. For example, the average annual premium for a 45-year-old individual has gone from $5,270 to $9,480, a nearly 80% increase. An average 60-year-old couple using the marketplace would see their annual premium costs go from $6,970 to $18,960 annually, an increase of 172%. (I recently hosted a healthcare forum and resource fair to help households facing these changes; click here to learn more.)

What is New York State doing to support residents who may lose food assistance?

With state and local colleagues outside the Westchester County Department of Social Services

On Tuesday, October 28, New York State joined a multi-state lawsuit to force USDA to release contingency funding. I joined a group of local leaders in Westchester on Tuesday to amplify calls for USDA to release the funds. Today, Governor Hochul declared a food emergency, adding $65 million to the $41 million she has previously fast-tracked for assistance to the state’s food banks this week. However, the most direct way to ensure people are fed is to fund SNAP, enabling people to buy what they need at the time most convenient for them. I have signed onto a letter circulated by my Assembly colleague, Jessica González-Rojas, urging Governor Hochul to call us into session so that we can pass a bill to upfront the cost of SNAP benefits for New Yorkers if the shutdown continues. We have enough money in reserves to meet this most basic of needs, and we should do it if Washington will not. 

How can I help people facing hunger?

Even before the shutdown, food insecurity had begun rising due to the worsening real economy and rising prices. We are also expecting more people to begin turning to food pantries due to the SNAP eligibility changes in H.R.1. If you are in a position to do so, financial donations to food banks like Feeding Westchester and Regional Food Bank are an important way to help. Food banks can purchase food at much lower costs than individuals, enabling a monetary donation to go farther than the same amount of money spent on food at a grocery store. 

To benefit our local food pantries directly, my office will also begin holding regular food drives. We will collect for and donate to a different local pantry every month, starting with CHHOP/Fred’s Pantry in November and the Ossining Food Pantry in December. I will announce drive-through drop-off dates for November and December soon, and we will also accept food donations at my district office during normal business hours on an ongoing basis. Please feel free to bring any unopened shelf-stable, non-expired food to our office; each pantry also has suggested donations of things that are most useful to them/their community. See the above flyers for more details. 

However, policy change is sorely needed, particularly at the federal level. It is not sustainable for people to rely on charity to stay alive, particularly since more and more people will need such charity if we continue going down this path. First and foremost, Congress needs to reclaim its constitutional power of the purse from President Trump. The President has been making erratic, emotional decisions that result in higher prices for Americans, both as consumers and as producers of goods, as well as uncertainty that leads to reduced hiring. The Senate has begun taking votes in that direction, though not with veto-proof majorities. 

Meanwhile, the House has been out of session for weeks and is not voting on anything. Call Congressman Mike Lawler and tell him to ask Speaker Johnson to bring the House back, pass legislation rescinding Trump’s tariffs, and get to work passing a budget that helps Americans: https://lawler.house.gov/contact/. 

We are living through a turbulent time, but by working together and standing up for what is right, we can make it through. 

Sincerely,

Assemblymember Dana Levenberg